Letter ca. 257 BC
Letter to Panakestor: the writer was imprisoned, asks Panakestor for help, and would like him to write to Zoilos on his behalf; he takes an oath by King Ptolemy, Arsinoe and the daimon which was the guardian of Panakestor
One text, 3 sources · Trismegistos-Text 1738
Letter of an arrested man asking Panakestor to intercede with Zoilos TM 1738unbekannt257 BCE
The same ancient text or artifact as recorded by 3 records across 3 independent projects, recognised as one entity by its TM-Text identifier. View on Trismegistos →
Letter from a man whose name ends in -outes to Panakestor, an estate manager in the Fayum, written around 257 BC. The writer says he has been unjustly arrested, swears by King Ptolemy, Arsinoe Philadelphos and Panakestor's guardian spirit that the charge is false, and begs Panakestor to write on his behalf to Zoilos, promising sureties and a jar of wine.
In English machine translation
[recto]
[…]outes to Panakestor, greeting. I ask you to help me, [since] I have been unjustly arrested. I swear by King Ptolemy [and] […] Arsinoe Philadelphos and by your daimon that I have not […] been arrested. It is a lie, and you yourself know it. [Since], then, you are on friendly terms with Zoilos, write to him about me […] to provide sureties to him […]
[…] do not overlook me like this, and if I am released, sureties to him […] having come to Philadelphia I will hasten [to come] to you and I will send you a jar of wine and the rest […] on the 19th, for the Isis festival (?), nine Arabs […] judging it better […] receiving […]
[I beg] you [therefore] and entreat you to write to Zoilos about me […] her […]
Farewell.
[verso]
To Panakestor
The oath by the addressee's daimon (guardian spirit) alongside the royal couple is unusual. The reading 'Isis festival' (eisieia) and the mention of nine Arabs are in a damaged passage and their connection is unclear.
Working translation of the DDbDP edition, made with Claude Opus 5.5 from the edition and the catalogue records shown below (catalogued as Letter to Panakestor Beseeching Assistance). It has not been reviewed by a papyrologist: check the edition before citing. Restorations follow the edition; […] marks lost text and (?) an uncertain reading.
p.col.3.18
[r] […]ουτης Πανακέστορι χαίρειν. ἀξιῶ σε βοηθῆσαί μοι ἐπεὶ[…] ἀδίκως ἀπῆγμαι. ὀμνύω βασιλέα Πτολεμαῖον καὶ[…] Ἀρσινόην Φιλάδελφον καὶ τὸν σὸν δαίμονα οὐ μὴν […]υ ἀπῆγμαι. ψεῦδός ἐστιν καὶ αὐτὸς σὺ γινώσκεις. ἐπεὶ δʼ οὖν ἐν φιλίαι εἶ πρὸς Ζωίλωι, γράψον αὐτῶι περὶ ἐμοῦ […]… ἐγγύο…